My name is Jada Hikary and I am currently a junior here at Quartz Hill. I’m from Ann Arbor, Michigan and relocated to Quartz Hill over the summer. After joining my school’s publication in my sophomore year, I fell in love with journalism and all that it entails. Moving during COVID has not been the easiest, however, and I am thrilled to start this new chapter of my life at Quartz Hill; more specifically, with The Ubiquity publication. Some of my favorite things to do during the pandemic have been reading, lifting, and spending time with my dogs and family. Right now, I am reading Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman.

9.28.20 Update

The past couple of weeks with distance learning have definitely been an experience like no other. All in all, I’m ready to go back to school! Taking APs online proved to be especially challenging, but it forced me to develop some strict self discipline and time management skills. My schedule, surprisingly, seems to be more packed than ever before as I balance school and work, but as much as I’ll complain about my workload, I love to stay busy. In my freetime, I’ve started to listen to more podcasts, and one that I am really enjoying is Rabbit Hole by the New York Times. It is a fascinating exploration of the depths of the internet and all the ways it’s built to get you lost in it, which I’ve found especially captivating as of recently because I’m spending so much more time on the internet.

2.1.20 Update

After enduring a full semester of distance learning, winter break was necessary to say the least. Over break, I took a break from the screens and focused on my physical and mental well-being both in recovery from a stressful past couple of months and in preparation for the craziness in the months to come. I started to take the time to incorporate walks with my dog, Kash, into my everyday routine. I also picked up a couple of new books, including One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus; Untamed by Glennon Doyle; and We Should All Be Feminists by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie. I often find myself inconsistent with my pleasure reading— I’ll go for a month without even picking up my book, but then once I do I’ll read 100 pages in one sitting. It was definitely nice to break the boring streak of routine textbook reading.